


the spaces between us called love

by yuu0_A



Category: ChroNoiR
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuu0_A/pseuds/yuu0_A
Summary: the story of two people taking a shot at this thing they call love
Relationships: Kanae/Kuzuha (Nijisanji)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

“Kanae-san!” 

Kanae who was on his way back to his table was surprised to bump into the person whom he was watching earlier in the live house.

“Shachou!” he happily said. “What a coincidence. Would you like to join me, I’m alone today. Wait, did you already have a reservation?”

“Unfortunately, we forgot. So, we would gladly take your offer.”

Kanae laughed, “That’s fine. How many are you anyway?”

“There are only three of us today. The other three members are busy with their exams.”

The two of them walked towards the room that Kanae reserved for that day and informed the owner that there was a change in the arrangements. After Kagami sent his bandmates the location of their after party, the two shared a conversation.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re alone today.”

“Yeah,” Kanae said as he took another shot. “I was teaching them earlier some of the stuff that might appear in the exam. I wanted to stay behind with them but they told me to have fun since I was busy the whole week. In return, I allowed them to pull an all-nighter in the lab.”

“I guess, I’ll stop by the lab later,” Kagami said as he checked his phone.

“How thoughtful of you, Shachou,” Kanae teasingly said.

Kagami flushed red and immediately defended himself. Kanae decided to divert the topic even though it was fun to tease Kagami. Before he could speak the door opened and a familiar voice said,“Kanae-san?”

Kanae can’t help but laugh at the surprised look on Ibrahim’s face. He immediately sat beside Kanae and his bandmate sat beside Kagami who looked equally surprised as Ibrahim. Then, Kagami immediately introduced him, “This is Kuzuha-san, he’s our band’s lead guitarist. And this is Kanae-san, he’s a good friend of mine.” 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kuzuha,” he muttered.

Kanae smiled and replied, “Nice to meet you, too. I’m Kanae.”

His phone suddenly rang and he had to excuse himself because of the call.

“Kuzuha-san, how rare.” 

“Right?” Ibrahim replied.

“Ponpi is on a trip. Dola went out with her friends. Yashikizu is busy as usual. So, I’ll be alone at home. So, accepting your invite is the most convenient choice.”

Kagami laughed as he still can’t believe that Kuzuha is sitting beside him, trying to make an excuse. It was rare of him to accept their invite which made Kagami so happy since this could be the start of Kuzuha warming up to others. He can’t help but feel proud with this sudden development.

When Kanae went back their food and drinks were already served on the table, and the three were enjoying their conversation. He apologized for the interruption and they began eating.

“By the way, your band’s set today is so good. I really enjoyed your performance.”

Kagami slightly bowed as he said, “Ah, thank you for always supporting us, Kanae-san.”

“Eh? Kanae-san went to watch us?” Ibrahim said with a genuine look of surprise. 

“I’ve been watching your band from the start. I even watch with everyone from time to time. Don’t tell me you never saw me watch you guys from a far?”

“Eh? For real.”

“He is always standing at the back. Maybe that’s why you never see him because of the crowd.”

“See, Kuzuha-san saw me. Ibrahim, you let me down. We even work in the same university.” 

As the night continues to fall, Kanae notices that he is drinking more than usual as they continue to chat. He was unconsciously matching Ibrahim’s pace who is quite a heavy drinker. He knew that he was almost at his limit. As much as he wants to stay and talk some more, he excused himself. Kagami offered him a ride but he refused since he lived around the area. He said his goodbye and paid for their food before going home.

\--------

Kuzuha was on his way home but he decided to stop by the convenience store nearby to grab some snacks to eat later as he played the new game he downloaded. When bought what he wanted, he decided to eat his favorite meat bun partnered with the strawberry milk drink that he adored first before going home. As he walked towards the park in front of the store, he saw someone sleeping peacefully on the bench in this cold weather.

Kuzuha was surprised to see the person sleeping on the bench. He crouched on the ground to check if the guy was breathing. When he was, he asked, “Hey, Kanae! Are you okay?”

Kanae groaned, “I’m okay.”

“Oh, he replied. Looks like I can still wake him up,” Kuzuha thought as he took a bite on the meat bun.

“You can’t sleep here. Drunk guys tend to get mugged in this area so I’ll take you to a police box so they can take you home.”

“No, take me home,” Kanae whined.

Kuzuha sighed. He thought that it was useless to have a proper conversation since this guy seems like he is quite drunk.

“So, where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Kanae rummaged his coat’s pocket and gave him his key. Then, he pointed to the apartment nearby. 

“Alright. Can you walk?”

Kanae stood up from the bench. And after taking a few steps, he fell on the ground. 

“I think I’ll crawl on my way home.”

Kuzuha laughed so hard since the scene looked like a comedic act. He extended his hand towards him and said, “You, you’re funny.” Kanae grabbed his hand and then he gently pulled him up. Kuzuha put his arm around him as he said, “Let’s go home.” 

The two reached Kanae’s apartment since it was a few minutes walk away from the convenience store. Kuzuha opened the door since Kanae handed him his keys carelessly. He wanted to leave him on the front door but Kanae paid for their food earlier so he decided to be kind until the end. He carried Kanae to his bed and made sure that he was properly tucked in. And as he stood up, Kanae grabbed the hem of Kuzuha’s jacket and said, “Don’t go.”

Kuzuha let out another sigh, “This guy is surprisingly needy.”

As he slowly tried to remove Kanae’s hand from his jacket, Kanae held his hand tightly. Kuzuha thought that it was no use to refuse especially with Kanae being clingy all of a sudden. He checked his phone and the last train is probably gone. So, the most logical way for him to do so is just sleep in this person’s apartment. 

As he sighed and sat on Kanae's bed he muttered, "This is technically the first time we've met. You already left an incredible impression, Kanae." He felt the heaviness in his eyes and slowly he drifted to sleep.

\--------

Kanae can’t believe his eyes as he saw the person sleeping by his side. And to top all of that, he was also holding his hand.

“What kind of development is this?” Kanae thought.

He continued to stare at Kuzuha’s adorable sleeping face. When he opened his eyes, the two stared at each other for a hot minute, reflecting their surprised expression in each other's eyes before Kuzuha sat up. 

“Ku-Kuzuha-san?” he said as he slowly let go of Kuzuha’s hand.

“Kuzuha is fine,” he replied as he yawned. "Kanae."

Suddenly dropping formalities made him even more confused as to what happened last night.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember well but thank you for taking me home.” Kanae sat up as he bowed his head. Soon, he felt his body ache and saw a few bruises on his arm and elbow.

“Ah, actually, it was an accident.”

“Accident?”

Just what the hell did he do for him to have this kind of body. He even brought a guy whom he just met home. Kanae was too confused for his own good.

“You fell down on your own when you said you can walk. It was funny.”

“Huh? I, what? I’m sorry my memories are a bit jumble-” the moment he said that he remembered what he did last night and he flushed red from embarrassment which made Kuzuha laugh. “It looks like you remembered”

“Ah, I’m truly sorry for everything,” Kanae bowed his head from embarrassment. 

“Nah, it’s okay. It seems like you can’t handle your liquor well. So, next time be careful.”

“I can actually drink well. I was just stressed out. That’s probably the reason why.”

“Okay, then. Take care. It will all be fine,” Kuzuha ruffled Kanae’s hair which surprised the other. 

“Ah, sorry. Habit.”

Kanae was too dumbfounded to even reply.

“I’ll be going now. You can repay me next time we meet.”

Kuzuha smiled before he ruffled Kanae’s hair once again then he went home. Everything happened so fast that Kanae was caught off guard. Kanae can still feel his heart beating fast.. His face, probably still flushed red. He buried his face with his hands as he remembered Kuzuha’s smile, “Damn. This is bad.”

\------

“I’m home.”

Kuzuha removed his shoes and immediately walked his way towards the dining room since Dola just finished cooking breakfast.

“Oh, it’s rare for you to go home at this time,” Dola said as she sat down.

“I slept over at my friend’s house,” Kuzuha said as he put some food on his plate..

Dola and Yashiro looked at each other a bit confused.

“Did he sleep over Kagami’s? Or his bandmates?” 

The two were cracking their heads to figure out where Kuzuha spent the night. They knew their son so well that they knew he'd speak about it sooner or later so for now they let him be. After he finished eating, he went straight to his room and laid down on his bed and can’t believe what just happened. 

“His hair was soft,” he thought.

As he slowly closes his eyes, he can picture Kanae’s sleeping face in front of him. The sound he makes, the warmth he felt, it won’t get out of his mind. Kuzuha flushed red as he felt his heart race.

“This is bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is me trying my best to write fluff and romance. Update might be a bit slow but I'll try my best. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you'll stay for a while. Please take care of me, 4649! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Dazzling.

That was the only word that Kanae said to himself the moment their eyes met. Kuzuha smiled at him and at that moment, Kanae felt the world slow down as the sound of the band playing in front of him slowly became muffled. He just can’t take his eyes off him. He was shining brightly on the stage as the lights pointed at him. He was pulled back to reality the moment they finished playing. 

“He was extremely cool,” Kanae thought as he nodded.

That was Kanae’s initial impression of Kuzuha which happened a few months ago. It was during that time when Akina was invited to sing for their band. He enjoyed listening to music but he wasn’t fond of going to events like that. It’s just that he can’t refuse Akina. So all of them went to the live house, and to Kanae’s surprise almost everyone on the stage were all familiar faces except for one. Maybe that was the reason why he caught his eye. He wasn’t able to focus on Akina but on the guy who naturally caught his eye. Since then, he came by the live house each time their band was performing. 

"It would be nice if I could see him again," Kanae thought.

He spent his weekend afternoon in his favorite cafe after doing a bit of shopping. The upcoming week will be harsh so he decided to take a breather outside. He wanted to have a clear mind before going back to his work especially with all the things that happened. As he was enjoying his cup of coffee, he saw a familiar looking guy enter the cafe.

"Kanae!" Kuzuha said as he walked towards him.

"Eh? Kuzuha,” Kanae had a surprised look on his face.

As Kuzuha sat on the seat in front of him, he rummaged inside his bag and when he found what he was looking for, he pulled it out and placed it on the table.

"Here." 

It was Kanae's key. 

"Oh, thank you. I thought I lost it in the office."

To be honest, Kanae forgot the existence of his key. He had a spare key so he wasn’t even bothered by it. 

"I was thinking of bringing it to your apartment today. But when we passed by earlier, I had the feeling that it was you. Glad I was right.”

Kanae laughed. He was then thinking of what to say next as he doesn’t want this conversation to end here. So he asked, "By the way, have you eaten yet? I’ll treat you!" 

"Ah, how about some other time? Sorry. We have practice today." 

"Oh, is that so? Well, it can’t be helped." Kanae said, dejected.

Kuzuha felt a bit of disappointment from Kanae’s voice. He felt bad rejecting his offer but it can’t be helped. He wanted to hang out with him but the band has a practice. So, he decided to take a bit of courage and asked him, "Ah, how about I swing by your place? Can you cook?"

“Yes,” Kanae’s expression changed as he nodded.

Kuzuha felt relieved and replied, "Alright, see you later."

Kanae bid him goodbye and watched him leave the cafe. He was grinning from ear to ear as he couldn't believe that he would be able to see Kuzuha this soon. He checked his phone before leaving to fetch some ingredients in the supermarket as he thought of what to cook for Kuzuha.

\---------

Kuzuha isn’t the type of person who gets easily attached to someone else. But to him, Kanae wasn’t just someone. Although they never got to know each other until recently, he already caught his eye a long time ago. He’s been watching their gig for a while now and out of the people in the crowd, it was Kanae who always caught his eyes. For some reasons, he will always look for him. He was like a charm that tells him that he will do well that night as they perform. 

To be honest, there were only a few people whom he got along with. It was weird how he felt so comfortable towards him that he went out of his way just to get a chance to meet him. It was a certain pull that Kuzuha doesn’t know how to describe. For now, he will just go with the flow and figure out what this is along the way. 

“Isn’t Kuzuha-san in a good mood today?” Kaida whispered to Genzuki.

“Kuzuha-san, you’re in a good mood today,” Nagao said nonchalantly.

“Am I? I am not sure. I am usually in a good mood,” Kuzuha said as he continued to tune his guitar.

“You have this happy aura around you,” Ibrahim added. “Did something good happen?”

“I wonder,” Kuzuha replied. 

The rest of his bandmates were puzzled by his answer. Practice went well as usual so Kagami decided to invite the other members to eat dinner together since Kuzuha started showing up in their group dinner. 

“Where should we eat today? Do you guys like anything?” Kagami asked as they cleaned up.

“Pizza!” the four said in unison.

“How about you, Kuzuha-san?” Kagami asked.

“Ah, I’ll be hanging out with a friend.So, I won’t be able to join. I’ll be there next time,” Kuzuha replied.

The five of them were surprised to hear what Kuzuha just said. Usually he would refuse but this time his excuse was different from the usual. When Kuzuha left the studio, the rest of the band members couldn't help but get curious. 

Kuzuha arrived at Kanae’s apartment. He can’t help but feel nervous as he rang the doorbell. But all of those feelings went away when Kanae opened the door with a happy expression as he said, “Welcome!”

\-------------

“Good morning, everyone!” Kanae greeted.

All three were surprised when they saw Kanae in a good mood as he entered the laboratory. Usually he will ignore all three of them then he will call them in his office individually for a brief meeting of what part they will do in the experiment. But this time, he was awfully in a good mood. 

“How was the morning exam?” Kanae asked.

“It was a piece of cake since Kanae-san taught us the things that may appear in the exam!” Akina replied.

“We were able to study well since we were given provisions,” Fuwa added.

Kanae remembered that Kagami dropped by the laboratory when they met a few days ago.

“Good for you, guys. I wish you all luck with your other exams. I saw Gundou-sensei’s exam. You better study since it’s quite hard.”

Akina and Fuwa who take her class groaned since Gundou-sensei is known for making tricky questions. Mayuzumi who was busy encoding was called inside Kanae’s office.

“Mayuzumi-kun, thank you,” Kanae said with all smiles.

Mayuzumi felt chills run down his spine. Knowing Kanae, something must have happened.

“Ah! I was found out," Mayuzumi replied.

Kanae was actually documenting his solo expedition the other day since the three of them can't come because of their exams. So, he kept sending pictures on their group chat just so that he won’t feel alone. The two turned off their phone to avoid distraction while Mayuzumi made sure that he kept Kanae’s messages read. Realizing that he was probably lonely, he sent a message to Kagami saying that Kanae was currently in that restaurant and would probably want company. 

“Hayato told us to come to their next gig,” Mayuzumi said since he’s the one who kept informing Kanae about Kagami’s band’s schedule.

“Ah, yes. Kuzuha told me about it,” Kanae said while going through all the papers on his table. “We're all going this time, right?”

He looked at Mayuzumi with a huge smile which somehow made chills run down his spine. Kanae wasn’t usually like this and this only meant one thing, someone caught his eye.

“Kuzuha?” Mayuzumi thought. “That’s the first time I heard that name.”

Kanae gathered all the papers that he needed to look through and said, “Let’s finish everything by Thursday.”

He then dismissed Mayuzumi and told him to just study for the exam. There is no need for them to help him out today since he’ll just review the results of the experiment.

When Mayuzumi returned back to his usual seat, Akina then said, “Kanae-san seems to be in a good mood.”

”Right? I wonder what happened last weekend,” Fuwa added as he looked at Mayuzumi who seemed to know something.

“You two, enough chattering. Just study,” Mayuzumi replied, dodging the conversation. He didn’t want to say something until he’s sure of his suspicions. But he’s quite sure the other two caught on the situation. 

  
  


\----------

Mayuzumi went home earlier than usual since all of his exams were finished. Kagami, who happened to have a meeting with Kanae, waited for him to finish his exam so they could go home together. 

As soon as Mayuzumi entered the car, he immediately asked, “Hayato, do you happen to know someone named Kuzuha?”

Kagami checked the rear view mirror as he replied, “Ah, Kuzuha-san. He’s a guitarist for our band. Why?”

“I see,” Mayuzumi said as he figured out what was happening. “ Looks like Kanae-san is fond of him.”

“Eh? Is that so? I happened to introduce them to each other last weekend.” Then, Kagami remembered that Kuzuha went to hang out with someone last weekend. If he connects the dots correctly, then the friend Kuzuha was talking about is no other than Kanae.

“Seems like I made a bridge that’s been wanting to be crossed for a long time,” Mayuzumi said. 

“Let’s watch over them for now and see how things go,” Kagami replied as he looked at Mayuzumi who seemed a bit tired.

“Did you get enough sleep? You have bags under your eyes,” Kagami looked concerned since Mayuzumi is the type who likes to push himself even if it costs his sleep. “Take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we reach home.”

“Eh, how kind of you Hayato, are you planning something?” Mayuzumi teased.

“You make it sound like I’m a bad adult,” Kagami replied as he laughed.

“Well, you truly are,” Mayuzumi muttered as he closed his eyes.

“You were saying something, Kai,” Kagami asked as he looked at Mayuzumi who was pretending not to nap.

With the change in Kagami’s tone, Mayuzumi then thought, “Ah, I might have done something bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Rei here! Thank you so much for reading the last chapter. I am so happy seeing people enjoyed reading the chapter. I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter as well. From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my gratitude. Kansha! Comments are highly appreciated! Updates will be slow once again. Take care everyone and see you next update! Advance Happy Valentine's Day!~


	3. Chapter 3

“We are twenty four’s 34!” Kagami shouted as each member started their respective instruments. The crowd shouted and cheered for the band. “Thank you for coming! And this is our last song for tonight, [Wish Upon a Star].”

Like usual, Kanae’s eyes were on Kuzuha. Each time their eyes met during the performance, he felt a certain excitement. Maybe it's because it’s different now that they know each other. Kanae can't think of a better word but Kuzuha's performance enchanted him.

It’s great that he isn’t alone today. Everyone got together to watch the live show since Kanae managed to finish all the experiments they had to run a day before the live show. The show was great like usual. The band has a huge following than he thought. He didn’t pay attention to it that much because his eyes were on someone else. 

There’s a lot of reasons for that since Kagami used to be part of a group that was popular back in the days. Not only that he sings well,, he is charismatic to boot that people can’t simply take their eyes off him. Ibrahim is also quite known for being the guitarist of a popular singer but for the band he plays the bass. There’s also the V∆LZ who are known in the University for being a talented trio. They used to do guerilla concerts until they were scouted by Kagami to join their band. According to Kagami, he created the band for fun but they ended up being popular. 

After the live show, Kanae’s company went to eat nearby and as he predicted they ended up eating at the same restaurant. He looked at Mayuzumi who was trying to pretend that he didn’t do anything. Unlike last time, he was drinking in moderation that much since he doesn’t want to end up in that state once again although he can’t count on Kuzuha if he ever did. But some of their company were letting the alcohol speak for them which made him feel like things won’t end well for some of them.

“We are honored to meet, Kanae-san,” Kaida, who looked drunk said as he bowed his head.

Kanae laughed as he said, “You make it sound like I’m someone great. I am just an ordinary researcher in the University.”

“Well, Kanae-san is popular even in our department,” Genzuki said, who is the sober of the three.

Nagao just nodded as he continued to drink while Kagami was trying to stop him. 

"That’s right, Kanakana is popular. Everyone loves him. He goes out with anyone who confesses to him but they break up immediately," Akina said in his drunken state.

All eyes were on him. Mayuzumi nudged him so that he could read the atmosphere. But the other guy remained oblivious, Kagami just sighed as he can foresee that this will end up unpleasant.

“The thing is even if his relationship with other people ends. They are still friends. It’s weird at the same time amazing.”

Mayuzumi just sighed as Akina added more fuel to the fire. He looked at Kanae who was smiling but his eyes weren't. "I'm sorry about Akina's running mouth." 

As soon as Kanae said that, everyone in the room felt chills run down their spine.

"He's angry," they all thought.

Kanae sighed. He thought that it’s better for him to explain so that people won’t misunderstand. “It’s not like I date anyone. It’s just that I date whom I am interested in and is interested in me but usually it doesn’t end well and the other party breaks up with me. They always say that we are better off as friends and we do end up better as friends rather than lovers.”

Everyone was surprised when Kanae explained himself. Kanae dated people who liked him but as their relationship progressed it felt like Kanae never really loved them back. And when they reached their limit he’ll always hear the words, “Going out with you feels like we are just hanging out. Let’s break up.” And that’s how his relationship ends. That’s why he gave up on dating until he found someone whom he is interested in. 

Kuzuha who was just listening to the whole conversation didn’t know why he’s not having it. He was interested in knowing Kanae but somehow he doesn’t want to hear about this topic. What’s worse than that is that he can’t explain why he is feeling uncomfortable and wanted the night to end so he can go home.

They decided to call it a night when they noticed that some of their friends were already drunk. Kaida, Genzuki, and Nagao went home since Kaida blanked out. Since the three of them live in the same dormitory, they took him home. Mayuzumi and Kagami also went home since Kagami had work the next day. Fuwa, Akina, and Ibrahim went to go for Round 2. They were trying to invite Kanae but he declined because he said that he has an important thing to do. They asked Kuzuha as well but they already knew his answer before he could even reply. The three went on their way to get more wasted. Leaving Kanae and Kuzuha alone outside the station. 

“Are you going home?” Kanae asked.

“Which home?” Kuzuha replied.

Kanae laughed and said, “Is my home turning into your home as well?”

“Ah,” Kuzuha realized that the alcohol probably got him as well. He unconsciously drank more than he could because he was upset for some reasons.

“So, are we going home?” Kanae asked. Kuzuha just nodded. 

The two rode the last train home. As the two walked towards Kanae's apartment, Kuzuha was extremely quiet. He can somehow sense that he is not feeling okay so he decided to cheer him up.

“You did great today,” Kanae complimented Kuzuha’s performance that night. He didn’t say a single word but instead flushed red. 

“Shit, he looks so adorable,” Kanae thought.”

Kanae made sure to make a mental note that Kuzuha is weak against compliments. Even though Kuzuha did great, he doesn’t acknowledge it and he always says that it’s a collaborative effort. He doesn’t like taking credit for something since he isn’t the only one that is part of the band. Kanae admired that part of Kuzuha, he has a good way of thinking and keeps himself on the ground.

When they reached home, Kuzuha immediately went straight to Kanae’s room and slumped himself on the bed. And slowly he drifted himself to sleep. Kanae went to check on Kuzuha who was sleeping on his bed. Kanae removed his shoes and turned his body in an upright position. He can’t help but laugh at how peaceful his face looks, sleeping on someone else’s bed. Well, it’s not like the first time but ever since that incident, Kuzuha sleeps beside him whenever he comes over. 

After changing his clothes, he turned the lights off leaving only his desk lamp on and sat beside him. He scrolled on his phone for a bit as he occasionally checked on Kuzuha. The moment he felt sleepy, he laid down and looked at Kuzuha’s sleeping face. Kanae just found it weird how Kuzuha managed to push all the boundaries and was able to reach him to a level that nobody else has done. 

He smiled as he somehow began to realize the feelings he currently have. He then whispered, “Goodnight, Kuzuha.” And as his eyes closed, he slowly drifted to sleep. 

When Kuzuha opened his eyes, it was extremely bright. That’s when he realized that he is at Kanae’s house. He looked around only to see himself sleeping alone in his bed. He went out of the room only to see Kanae cooking in the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Kanae greeted.

“Morning,” Kuzuha yawned as he scratched his stomach.

He sat down and Kuzuha was visibly giddy upon seeing his favorite food being served.

“Delish. The omurice you cook is really delicious,” Kuzuha said.

Kanae smiled. “Thanks.”

\---------

“Are you leaving now?” Dola said as she saw Kuzuha go down the stairs.

“Yeah. We have practice this morning. And I won’t be going home. I'll sleep over at Kanae’s house,” he replied as he looked for his shoes. 

Kuzuha became a regular visitor of Kanae’s house. To the point that Kanae gave him a spare key so that he can come over anytime he wants.

“It’s great to know that you found a new friend. But are you sure that it’s okay for them to stay over all the time?” Dola said quite concerned about Kuzuha.

“Kanae is a good person. I like his company. Don’t worry about me, Mom.” Kuzuha replied as he sensed his mother’s concern.

She sighed in relief, “Your dad and sister are quite worried about you being in a wrong company.”

Kuzuha laughed which made Dola surprised since it’s been a while since he saw that expression. That’s when Dola knew that Kanae must be important to Kuzuha since he won’t be attached to anyone that easily.

“Even Shachou can vouch for Kanae’s identity,” Kuzuha replied.

“Alright, wait a minute.” Dola then went back to the kitchen and gave Kuzuha a paper bag. “That’s enough for the two of you. Tell Kanae-san to visit when he has time, okay?”

Kuzuha looked elated and said, “Thanks, Mom. I’ll be going now.”

“Alright. Take care,” she said as she waved him goodbye.

Dola didn’t expect to see more of his cute son’s side at this age. “He must really like Kanae-san,” she thought.

Kuzuha was feeling giddy since he’ll be staying at Kanae’s apartment today. Though he’s there frequently but today he’s sleeping over. It’s been a while since he slept over because he’s busy with stuff that he can’t stay over at night. He can’t deny the fact that he likes Kanae’s company. The guy is really interesting in his eyes. The more he spent time with Kanae, the more he got to know him. It was the first time he felt so comfortable towards someone that easily.

He went out earlier than expected so that he could stop by Kanae’s house before going to practice. With his guitar on his back, and the paper bag on his other hand, he opened the door of Kanae’s apartment. He was expecting him to be sleeping in the bedroom but Kanae was sleeping on the couch. Kuzuha put his guitar down and put all the food that Dola made on the table. He then walked towards Kanae who was still sleeping. He checked on him and saw the dark circles around his eyes. “He must have been busy with work,” Kuzuha thought. 

Kanae woke up to the sound of someone singing as they played the guitar. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Kuzuha sitting by the window. His silver white hair looked like it was glistening under the morning light. The wind slightly blew and the chimes rang. Maybe, it was the summer heat but he could feel his face heat up as he watched this scene that came out of a manga.

The singing stopped when Kuzuha noticed that Kanae was awake, “Morning.”

“Good morning. I’m sorry. Did you come over last night? I was really out of it.” Kanae said as he sat up.

Kuzuha then puts his guitar away. “I came here this morning. Dola told me to share this with you. I was planning to go after practice but I figured that you might have not eaten yet so I stopped by.”

He then stood up, ruffled Kanae’s hair and said, “I’ll be going now. Morning practice. Eat. I’ll be back later.”

Kanae wasn’t able to reply as Kuzuha left the apartment like a wind. He was caught off guard by his action. Kuzuha’s kindness was something he wasn’t used to. He was used to spoiling other people but seeing someone do this kind of thing is new for him. Kanae’s heart was beating fast for this guy that is full of surprises. He buried his face with his hands as he muttered, “Ah, I like him.”

Night fell and Kanae just slept through the whole day. He ate the food from Kuzuha’s mom and it was delicious. He wanted to get to that level and vowed that he’ll learn to cook more during his free time. Kuzuha arrived at the apartment later than he thought since he ran an errand for Shachou whom he can’t refuse since he owes a lot to him. 

Kuzuha then found Kanae in the living room, slowly dozing off from the show he was watching. It looked like he was extremely tired and he suddenly felt bad. 

“Welcome back, Kuzuha,” Kanae said. 

“I’m back.” Kuzuha sat beside him and said, “I’ll take you to your room, go and sleep there,”

Kanae stood up and said, “I’m sorry about this.”

“It’s okay. It’s me who should feel bad for always intruding.”

Kanae laid down on his bed and before Kuzuha left the room he said, “Don’t think that way. You’re always welcome in my house. So, don’t you dare go home. Stay over.”

A smile was formed on Kuzuha’s lips as he left the room. He spent his time playing in the living room, and when he felt sleepy. He went back to Kanae’s room to sleep. He adjusted the temperature of the room first so that Kanae could sleep well. He then sat beside Kanae who was sleeping peacefully. He didn’t know what got into him. He moved away the hair that was on his face and he didn’t even realize that he was about to kiss him. 

Kanae opened his eyes and said, “Are you planning to steal a kiss.”

“Ah, no. I was just checking if you’re alive,” Kuzuha said as he looked away. Kanae can’t believe what Kuzuha just said. He was doing his best to hold back his laughter as he could see that Kuzuha’s ears were so red. 

“Well, I’ve been stealing kisses from you when you’re asleep anyway,” Kanae nonchalantly said.

“Eh?” Kuzuha blushed even more which made Kanae burst into laughter.

\---------

Despite the incident that happened last night, the two slept soundly. Kuzuha woke up earlier than Kanae this time. He was planning to cook breakfast and stay around until noon but he got a message from his sister. He then got ready to go home. Kanae woke up. He walked out of the room with his blanket still around him.

“Are you going home now?” He asked.

“Yeah. Ponpi needs my help so I have to go home,” Kuzuha said with his downcasted eyes, as he grabbed his guitar. 

Kanae also wanted him to stay some more but his family comes first. He walked him towards the door and said, “Come by again next time. I’ll make sure that we can play by that time.”

Kuzuha then leaned towards Kanae and gave him a kiss before leaving, “Bye bye. I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, yeah. Be careful.”

When Kuzuha closed the door, Kanae crouched down the floor as he flushed red, touching his lips as he felt Kuzuha’s lips over his. He can’t believe what just happened after teasing him last night. Meanwhile, Kuzuha was putting his earphones on when he realized what he just did, he didn’t need to see his reflection to know how red his face was since he can feel his face heating up. He then touched his lips as he muttered, “Wait, did I just kissed Kanae?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I didn't know how I was able to write this chapter after what we just witnessed. Did I survive? Barely. But I'm glad that I was able to post something because of the feels it gave me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for leaving kudos and comments, for the bookmarks and subscriptions as well. I really appreciate them all. And I hope you listen to ToyJoy's 'Hoshi ni negai wo' since that's the song in my head that Kagami's band sang. I hope you all have a great week! Kansha and Odaijini~ See you next update~ • w •
> 
> PS. I edited a few parts from the previous chapters~


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